Who was Anne Maria Berg’s husband and what happened to him? •••••••••••••••
Sivert Berg’s daughter Anne Maria married Peder O. Evjen on 24 September 1881. 2 months after they married she gave birth to their first son Sivert Evjen. Two years later they had a second child. 21 Feb 1883 she gave birth to Andrew Martin Evjen. She had complications from the birth and died two weeks later on 8 March 1883. After her death Peder traveled west and was never heard from again. His two young sons were raised by the Bergs. When they were of age, they both traveled west. Andrew settled in Montana and Sivert made his home in British Columbia, Canada.
The problem we’ve had trying to find Peder is all of the names. Did he stick with Evjen or did he use Meraker? Maybe he switched to Merager like his parents? Another option might be Lille-Krogstad, one of the names his parents had in Norway. He could have used just about any name under the sun.
He shows up a few times in “Pioneer History”.
Twice as Peder O. Meraker. Was this the name he used?
LINK 1 Gives marriage date to Anne Maria Berg, her death date,
names of their sons, where their sons went and that Peder left
after her death and was never heard from again. His name also
changes from Peder in the headline to Peter when he leaves.
LINK 2 Gives Peder’s birth date, Anne Mariia’s birth date, and
names their two sons.
Twice as the son of Ole Merager. Was this the name he used?
LINK It says Ole’s son Peder married a daughter of Sivert Berg.
LINK It says he was Ole’s son Peter.
(NOTE: Ole is also named Pynten. His birth name.
See left column for more information.)
The Church Registry lists him as Evjen.
George Carlson has them online. Here are links:
Nidaros Weddings starting 1868 LINK
Nidaros Baptisms starting in 1868 LINK
Peder and Anne Maria’s marriage and the birth of both of their children are listed. In all three records he goes by the name Evjen.
The interesting thing about the link regarding Ole Merager is that it names the entire family. Peder’s sister would be Anne (Anna- Annie). She married Ludvig Wold. It says that they have 2 daughters and live in Los Angeles, California. (The book was originally published in 1928). “The Man is now dead” seems to refer to Ludvig. He died in South Dakota. The last sentence says:
“The property was sold after the wife’s death and Ole moved to his daughter’s, Mrs. Wold, while they lived here and lived there the rest of his life.”
A little confusing, but it sounds like Ole moved into his daughter’s home while she still lived in South Dakota and lived there the rest of his life.
Annie married Ludvig in 1895. He died around 1898 and left her as a widow with two daughters. Ole’s wife Ingeborg died in 1894. He sold his property after she died and moved in with Annie. He died at the age of 74 in 1903. After he died Annie sold her home and moved out west with her two daughters. Their names were Inez and Louise. If you track them, they show up in Seattle, and eventually in Los Angeles.
Looking around Seattle in the 1900-1910 time frame I found Peder. I’m not the only one who found him. There have been many people looking and have seen this same man. How can we be sure it’s him? I believe we can say this is the same man because his obituary says he died at his sister Anna Wold’s home.
Peter O. Evjen Timeline ••••••••••••••••••••••
1855 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Peder is born May 30, 1855 in Meråker, Norway. He is baptized June 24. Ole Johanneson Lille-Krogstad and Ingeborg Petersdatter are his parents. They later go by the name Merager in America.
Source information:
Nord-Trøndelag county, Meråker, Parish register (official) nr. 706A01 (1850-1861), Birth and baptism records 1855, page 18.
1875 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Immigration to America. Like the Bergs, he traveled first to Quebec. He arrived 18 May 1875 from Liverpool, England aboard the vessel ‘Moravian’. LINK
1880 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Living with brother Johanes at Sivert Berg's. LINK
1881 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
September 24 Marries Sivert's daughter Anne Maria. LINK
29 Nov 1881 son Sivert Evjen is born. LINK
1883 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
21 Feb 1883 son Andrew Martin Evjen is born. LINK
Wife Anne Maria dies Mar. 8, 1883.
1900 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Living in Fir, Skagit County, Washington
He is a Day Laborer. He owns his home and is paying a mortgage. Age: 45; Birth Date: May 1855; Birthplace: Norway
His Immigration Year is listed as 1875 and he is Widowed.
1903 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
His father Ole dies. In his probate they give Peder’s address as Alaska. He may have been there for the Yukon Gold Rush.
“Peder Evjen or Merager, a son living in Alaska Territory. Post Office address is unknown.”
When he receives his distribution from the Last Will, he is living in Skagit County, Washington.
Click Image for larger view.
1906 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
19 May 1906 he dies two weeks short of his 51st birthday while living at his sister Annie’s in Seattle, Washington.
Obituary from Seattle Times, 20 May 1906; Page: 4
Statistics from Seattle Times, 21 May 1906; Page: 10
Register of Deaths
Peder is number 16315 (at the bottom of the page)
Occupation: Miner. Cause of Death: Tumor.
Death Record
Peder is number 1370.
Occupation: Miner.
Chief Cause of Death: Tumor of Oesophagus.
Contributing Cause of Death: Suffocation.
He's buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. LINK
He might have a probate file. They seem to have info from that time frame: LINK
King County
• Probate
Indexes, 1853-1977
Cause Files, 1853-1971
Annie Wold Timeline •••••••••••••••••••••••••
In order to find Peder, I needed to trace his family. Particularly Annie. She’s turned out to be very interesting.
1864 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Annie is born in Meråker, Norway. Her birthday is fuzzy in the records.
1895 Marriage in Apr. She is 30. If she was married in April and
born in Jun, her birth would be 1864.
1900 census it is Jun 1864
1910 census it is 1868
1920 census it is abt 1866
This is her birth record. She is number 31, Born 4 June 1864 to Ole Johannesen Overbrende and Ingeborg Pedersdatter.
Source information:
Nord-Trøndelag county, Meråker in Øvre Stjørdal, Parish register (official) nr. 706A02 (1862-1877), Birth and baptism records 1864, page 8.
NOTE:
Ole’s name keeps changing because he is moving. Norwegian naming practices at the time use last names almost like an address. The farm they are living on becomes their last name.
1878 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She travels to America.
1879 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is confirmed at Old Nidaros Church along with future sister-in-law Anne Berg (Mrs. P.O. Evjen).
1889 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ludwig Wold living in Sioux Falls. He is a Harness Maker. 1889 Sioux Falls Directory. LINK
1894 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Her mother Ingeborg dies.
1895 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ludvig Wold in “Pioneer History”. This was his second marriage. LINK
Marriage to Annie Olsdatter (She went by the name Olson, but Ole’s daughter works just as well)
Marriage Date: Apr 23 1895
Groom: Wold, Ludvig - Age: 40
Residence: Baltic/Minnehaha/SD
Bride: Olson, Annie - Age: 30
Residence: Baltic/Minnehaha/SD
Witness: Haus H. Sandvig, Tilie Fanebust
N. Boe, minister - married Sioux Falls
Here’s a photo of the Rev. Nils N. Boe and family 1905 LINK
Daughter Inez Constance Wold is born 21 Oct 1895
Father: Ludvig Wold
Mother: Anne Olsdatter Wold; born Meraker
Source: Old Nidaros Church records
1897 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Click Image for larger view.
Here’s the entire photo. LINK
NOTE:
Several records for this family can be found in the “Old Nidaros Church”. Here’s a link to George Carlson’s sodcity page about the church. It’s still in use and has a very interesting history.
1898 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Daughter Louise Anita Wold is born 13 May 1898
Annie Wold living in Baltic. (North of Sioux Falls) She is listed as widow of Ludwig. 1898 Sioux Falls Directory. Ludvig’s son from his first marriage (Axel) is listed as a Harness Maker. LINK
1900 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Listed as 35 years old. Living in Sverdup. She is a widow with daughters Inez C. and Louise A. She is a Boarding House Keeper. She owns the house free and clear. 71 year old father Ole Meraker is living with them. He is a widower. LINK
NOTE:
They are number 42. Household number 45 is HW Hanson. Widower. He was sister Ragnhild’s husband. Household 40 was the Questads who ran a General Store. There are photos of it here.
George is always adding photos, but on page 3 he has several 1900 photos of Baltic that show the Questad General Store and what Baltic looked like when Annie lived there.
1903 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Her father Ole dies.
1906 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Brother Peder dies in May.
NOTE:
I have seen the articles below in Genealogy Bank. It looks like Anna sells her home and moves to a new one, but this is a different Anna Wold. Her middle initial is “T”, and there are other articles identifying her as another woman. I’ll leave them here for now. These are snippets of articles available for purchase from the Seattle Daily Times Archives, or can be viewed in Genealogy Bank’s website.
Seattle Daily Times 30 Sept, 1906 LINK
Seattle Daily Times 10 Nov, 1906 LINK
Seattle Daily Times 11 Nov, 1906 LINK
1910 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Annie is listed as 42 years old and living with her 2 daughters at 1708 Harvard Ave., Seattle, WA.
Her year of immigration is listed as 1878. She is a widow and the mother of 2 children. Both children are still living. Her occupation is Keeper of a Lodging House. She is not an Employer or Employee, but is working on her "Own Account". She owns the home, but is still paying a mortgage.
Daughter Inez is 14 and was born in South Dakota. She is single and has no profession.
Daughter Louise A. is 11 and was born in South Dakota. She is single and has no profession.
LINK 1 (Bottom of Page) LINK 2 (Top of Page)
1920 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is 54 years old and living at 941, 29th Ave., Seattle, WA
Inez is a Stenographer at an Automobile Company and Louise is an Assistant at a Dental Office.
1921 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Mrs. Anna Wold announces the marriage of her daughter Inez Constance Wold to Millard Cornelius Murane.
1922 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
22 September 1922. Headline front page. Widow Anna Wold is the last to escape a fire that burns everything she owns.
1930 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is living in Los Angeles, California. The census shows Anna L Wold as a mother-in-law living with Inez. She is shown Age 64 born in Norway. (birth would be abt 1866). Inez is born in South Dakota and is age 32. (birth would be abt 1898) They are near the bottom of the page.
1936 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Living in Fontana, California. Anna is Republican, Millard and Inez are Democrats.
1940 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Still living with Inez. See more below in Inez information.
1958 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
SPECULATION:
I believe this is Anna. Middle initial and birth date don’t match, but Mother's Maiden Name and Father's Surname make it hard to believe it could be anyone else.
California Death Index, 1940-1997
Name: Anna L Wold
[Anna L Merager]
Birth Date: 4 Jun 1866
Birthplace: Other Country
Death Date: 7 Feb 1958
Death Place: San Bernardino
Mother's Maiden Name: Krogstad
Father's Surname: Merager
Here’s her Obituary.
From “The San Bernardino County Sun”
9 Feb 1958.
And 3 days later, notice that the funeral took place. Lists pallbearers and service details.
From “The San Bernardino County Sun”
12 Feb 1958.
Annie’s Daughters ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
There’s really no need for any more information on this line. We’ve proved that Peder Evjen died at Annie’s home in Seattle, so I’ll end this page here.
....OK. After all this research, I was curious to see what happened to her daughters. Here’s what I’ve found.
Louise Anita Wold (Cullen) •••••••••••••••••
1898 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is born 13 May, 1898.
1914 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is confirmed in Seattle 10 May, 1914. Date of birth is listed as 13 May, 1898. Parents are Ludvig Wold and Anne Merager.
1916 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Broadway High School; Seattle, Washington, USA
1916 yearbook.
Click Image for larger view.
Here’s a closeup of the photo. LINK
1921 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sister Inez marries Millard Murane. The Wedding is announced May 5, 1921 in the Seattle Times, but no date or location for the upcoming event is given. In July, Louise travels to Casper, Wyoming, where she is the guest of Judge and Mrs. C. D. Murane.
Coming and Going - Seattle Times July 24, 1921:
2 November 1921 she marries Edward Trask Cullen in Seattle.
Marriage Certificate:
Today’s News of Interest to Women - Seattle Times Nov 8, 1921. Article describes the wedding ceremony and notes they will be making their home in Los Angeles.
1940 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Living in Los Angeles. She is a housewife. He is an accountant at an Oil Refining Company.
1948 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Louise dies in Los Angeles. I haven’t been able to find her death certificate yet, but she appears in the California Death Index, and her death notice from one of the newspapers is below.
Death Notice: LA Newspaper
Funeral Notice: LA Newspaper. This one says she was the beloved wife of Mr. Ed Cullen.
California Death Index, 1940-1997
Name: Louise Anita Cullen
[Louise Anita Wold]
Birth Date: 13 May 1898
Birthplace: South Dakota
Death Date: 15 Feb 1948
Death Place: Los Angeles
Mother's Maiden Name: Merager
Father's Surname: Wold
Found her Death Certificate. She was in the hospital for two weeks with pneumonia. Due to other complications her heart shut down.
Inez Constance Wold (Murane) ••••••••••••
1910 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
12 June 1910 She is confirmed in Seattle. Date of birth is listed as 21 Ocober, 1895. Parents are Ludvig Wold and Anne Merager. She was born in Baltic, South Dakota and baptized 22 December 1895.
1913 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Broadway High School; Seattle, Washington, USA
1913 yearbook.
Click Image for larger view.
Here’s a closeup of the photo. LINK
1921 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
5 May 1921 Mrs. Anna Wold announces the marriage of her daughter Inez Constance Wold to Millard Cornelius Murane, son of Judge C. D. Murane.
22 June 1921 the wedding takes place in Casper, Wyoming.
1923 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
07 Sep 1923 she has a son named Daniel E Murane.
(Thanks to information from one of Inez’s grandsons)
Here’s a link to his birth in "California, Birth Index, 1905-1995".
1929 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
30 April 1929, son Daniel dies.
LINK to record in “California, Death Index, 1905-1939”
LINK to image
1930 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is living in Los Angeles, California. The census shows Anna L Wold as a mother-in-law living with them. Anna is age 64 born in Norway. Inez is born in South Dakota and is age 32. They are near the bottom of the page.
1931 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Husband Millard’s mother passes away. Obituary - Los Angeles, California. Published 16 March 1931. Lydia E. Murane.
1940 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
She is living in Los Angeles, California. Millerd Murane age 42. No profession is listed. Inez Murane age 44, listed as a Stenographer.
They have two children. Elizabeth A Murane age 13 and David Murane age 11. Mother-in-law Anna Wald age 74 is still living with them.
Millard C. Murane age 42 occupation Grade School Teacher.
1951 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Husband Millard’s father passes away. Obituary - Deseret News, Utah, Dec. 5, 1951.
1955 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
23 June 1955 she is installed as the Historian in the City of Fontana Auxiliary to Post 262, American Legion.
1992 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Social Security Death Index
Name: Inez W. Murane
Last Residence: 22309 Alexandria, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Born: 21 Oct 1895
Died: 10 Feb 1992
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)
1994 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Her husband Millard Cornelius Murane passes away.
Dec 11, 1897 - Apr 11, 1994
Here’s a link to him in Find-A-Grave: